Device for practicing putting



. 30, 1958 L. B. CAYOT DEVICE FOR PRACTICING PUTTING Filed March 14, 1958 Lil United States. Patent DEVICE FOR PRACTICING PUTTING Lynn B. Cayot, Alhambra, Califi, assignor to Common wealth Company, Alhambra, Calif., a co-partnership Application March 14, 1958, Serial No. 721,418 I 3 Claims. 01. 273-183) This invention relates to a putting practicer for golfers.

Good putting in golf generally requires considerable practice in controlled straight line putting. Accurate putting demands smooth stroking, and good consistent putting results usually require developing an overspin on the ball. Further, putting accuracy is enhanced by maintaining the club face or putter at a substantially right angle to the line of roll of the ball and stroking the putter so that the end of the club is parallel to the line of movement of the ball.

The above and other objects of my invention are achieved by my simplified putting practicer device, which comprises a plate having thereon a pair of upstanding parallel rails, the height of the rails being substantially less than the radius of a golf ball, and the distance between said rails being slightly greater than the length of the chord struck through said ball by a line joining the tops of said rails and sufiicient to guide a golf ball placed on said plate between said rails, in substantially straight line movement along the parallel to said rails. Mounted on said plate, preferably along one edge thereof, is an upstanding wall spaced from said rails and extending parallel thereto, the height of said wall being substantially greater than the height of said rails. The device is constructed so that the distance between said wall and the adjacent rail is greater than the length of the outwardly extending end portion of a putter for putting said ball, when said putter is in stroking position substantially normal to said rails.

The invention device will be more clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device showing a golf ball in position on the device and a putter in operative position adjacent the ball;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of Fig. 2 showing the position of the ball and putter;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective the manner of employing the device for practicing putting.

Referring to the drawings, the device, preferably formed in a single piece, is composed of a preferably fiat rectangular plate having a pair of upstanding parallel beads or rails 12 and 14 extending longitudinally of the plate, and an upstanding wall -or guide 16 along a longitudinal edge of the plate parallel to the rails 12 and 14 and spaced from the adjacent rail 14. The device may contain holes 18 to receive pins or nails 20 adapted to be driven into a support or the turf indicated at 19 if the device is employed out of doors, to hold the device in firm position during use. The practicer can be made of any suitable material such as metal, plastic, wood and the like, but is preferably formed of metal or plastic by stamping or molding the entire device as a one piece integral unit.

In the device shown, the rails 12 and 14 are formed as upwardly bent integral portions of the plate 10, in the shape of inverted Us, and the vertical wall 16 is formed by upwardly bending an outer portion of the plate 10 along a line 22 parallel to the rails 12 and 14. The'upper end of wall 16 is bent back to form a flange 24 to give greater rigidity. V

' Of particular significance, the rails are designed'of a height substantially less than the radius of a regulation golf ball indicated at 23, and preferably substantially less than half the radius thereof. This height is sufiicient to prevent the ball from jumping the rails. The distance s between the rails is made slightly greater than the length of the chord, indicated by' the phantom line 24, struck through the ball by a line joining the tops 26 of the; rails, said distance "s"being sufiicient to guide the ball when placed, in contact with the plateltl, in. substantially i straight line movement along the rails when's' truck by the putter, indicated at 28. Thus, the ball, on being struck,

vrolls on the surface of the plate 10 guided in a straight line by the rails 12 and 14. The rails simulate an imaginary line of putting, and assure striking the ball high enough to help develop overspin on the ball.

Further, the verticalwall 16 has a height substantially greater than the height of the rails 12 and 14, and the distance between said wall and the adjacent rail 14 is somewhat greater than the length of the end portion 30 of the putter which extends outwardly beyond rail 14 and ball 23, when the putter is in position to strike the ball. The wall 16 functions as a guide for the end of the putter when striking the ball, to assure accurate stroking in a line parallel to the rails and to wall 16.

As an example and without intending to limit the invention, the height of the rails can be about /8 to about inch, the distance between the rails about 1 to about 1% inches, the height of the wall 16 about 1 to about 1 /2 inches, and the distance between wall 16 and the adjacent rail 14 about 1 /2 to about 2 inches. The length of the plate 10 and the length of the rails and wall 16 can be varied as desired, .e. g., such length can be about 10 to about 12 inches. However, the length of the rails and of wall 16 need not extend for the entire length of plate 10, but preferably the rails and side wall 16 are coextensive with said plate.

In use, the ball 23 is spotted on or in contact with the plate 10 and between the rails 12 and 14 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. Preferably the ball is placed near one end of the practicer so that the club face 32 of putter 28 tends to remain in contact with the ball after it is struck and leaves the guide rails. The ball is struck keeping the club face 32 at right angles to the rails 12 and 14, and to the line of roll of the ball. The outer tip 34 of the club should be observed to remain parallel to wall 16, preferably a short distance therefrom, during the stroke. .When the club face 32 makes contact with the ball the lower edge 36 of the club preferably should be slightly above the tops of the rails.

It will be understood thatinstead of constructing the rails and guide wall 16 integral wtih the supporting plate 10, the rails and outer guide wall can be separate members connected by suitable fasteners to plate 10. From the foregoing, it is seen that I have designed a simple, improved and inexpensive device for properly practicing putting to thereby improve ones golf game.

While I have described a particular embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. 1

I claim:

1. A putting practicer comprising a plate, a pair of upstanding parallel rails on said plate, the height of said rails being substantially less than the radius of a golf ball, and the distance between said rails being slightly greater than the length of the chord struck through said "Patented-Dec. 3o, s

ball by a line ioiningthe tops of said rails, said distance being suflicient to. guide a golf ,ball placed .on. said p ate between said rails, in substantially straight line movement along and parallel to said rails, and an upstanding on. sa d Plate spa ed fmm .sa g rails and e nd n pa l e thereto, e hei h .of sa d wall bei subst i y re er tha t e h i of sai a l and the dista e e: w e sa d wall an the j cen ail bei at t a the length of the outwardly extending end portion of a pu e r p tt d ball wh n said Putt t s p a e u stantially normal to said rails in position to strike a ball located between said rails.

A Put n p a t p isi a sub tan ally fiat eetans r p a pa q inps din Pa a e ra FX' te u i a ly a n said Plat the he ght o Said a l bei eub fi ia i l than t e ad u Q a golf ball, and the distance between said rails being slightly greater han he t nth f t chor str pnsh sa a y a line joining the tops of said rails, said distance being suflicient to guide a golf ball placed on said plate between said rails, in substantially straight line movement along an parallel tq. rails ai s]. an upaantliae wa l 99. nected at a substantially right angle to said plate and extending along an outer longitudinal edge thereof, said wall being spaced from said rails and extending parallel thereto, the height of said wall being substantially greater than the height of said rails, and the distancebetween said wall and the adjacent rail being slightly greater than the length of the outwardly extending end portion of a putter for putting said ball when said putter is placed substantially normal to said rails in position to strike a ball located between said rails.

3Q A putting practicer as defined in claim 2, wherein said practicer is composed of metal, and said rails and wall are formed integral with said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I Ching n June 12, 1956 

